


A Captain's Shield

by paynesgrey



Category: Star Trek XI
Genre: M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-11
Updated: 2009-06-11
Packaged: 2018-08-10 09:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7839799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>McCoy doesn't fear space so much anymore, thanks to his friend James T. Kirk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Captain's Shield

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a drabble meme for farawayeyes4 who wanted some Bones-fic.

McCoy inwardly cringed as they beamed down to the surface of the planet, but quickly he brushed it aside. He was still concerned by space diseases and otherworldly risks, but he realized that time at the academy had mostly suppressed those fears.

Something else had contributed to it as well, or rather – _someone_.

On his right, Dr. McCoy watched Captain James T. Kirk breathe in the new planet’s fresh air with hearty zeal. McCoy inwardly scoffed. His captain wasn’t afraid of anything, and he didn’t know if he should be more paranoid about what could happen to them or if he actually felt safer in his presence.

Fortunately, he felt the latter, and he couldn’t understand it. It was something about Kirk’s spirit and bravery that seemed to generate a shield around him.

He started when a hand clapped his shoulder, and he turned to Jim with an annoyed look.

“Relax, Bones, you’re not going to catch anything down here,” his captain said, grinning confidently.

McCoy tilted his head. “We don’t know that for sure,” he said briskly opening his scanner, and Jim chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“The scans on the ship said this planet was perfectly safe,” Kirk said, walking ahead as the accompanying ensigns followed. McCoy’s stepped up to catch his pace.

McCoy frowned. Jim damn well knew that the scans picked up sentient life forms on the unknown planet, which didn’t really put the doctor at ease. He wished Kirk would have listened to him and didn’t head the search party. Not that Jim ever listened to him; Captain James T. Kirk found it insulting at being denied a chance at exploration.

“Come on,” he directed, but McCoy sped up a few steps ahead of him protectively, surveying the area. He could hear Jim’s annoyed noise behind him.

“Bones,” Jim simply said, and McCoy ignored him, knowing that he was one of the few people that could get away with walking in front of the captain.

“Boo!” McCoy jumped as Jim’s hands jarred his shoulders, and he withered when he heard Jim’s laughing behind him. He turned around irritated, but even the ensigns were amused.

“Dammit Jim, that’s not funny,” McCoy warned, but the grin on Jim’s face didn’t seem so convinced.

“I just wanted to get the fear out of your system before we really started this mission. Now are you fit for duty or do you want to sulk back to the ship?” Jim said, and laced within his playful tone was an authoritative warning. Bones stiffened. He hated when Jim was right.

“I’m ready, sir,” McCoy said in a low voice, and Jim nodded amiably.

“Good. Now, on your guard everyone, the good doctor here thinks the boogieman is going to come out of the bushes and attack us.”

McCoy snorted, and Jim was quite proud of his ribbing. McCoy added, “Impossible, captain. This search party has an iron shield around us thanks to you. We are perpetually invincible.”

Jim turned to him with an even brighter smile, and McCoy knew he’d be used to his sarcasm by now.

“Try not to sound so excited, Bones,” Jim drawled, and McCoy snorted a guffaw.

They continued ahead, and thanks to Jim’s good luck, they succeeded in gathering supplies and data without any incident. McCoy noticed their initial exchange ultimately relaxed him, which reiterated that it wasn’t just Starfleet academy that subdued his fears about space and the unknown.

James T. Kirk, his good friend, was also responsible for McCoy’s growing confidence.  



End file.
